Twelve-year-old Attaullah Birhoi, who was brought to Karachi on Wednesday from Jamshoro but subsequently refused treatment by major public sector hospitals of the city, passed away on Friday. His family have accused officials of public sector hospitals responsible for his death, and have demanded of the Sindh government to launch a criminal case against the director of the National Institute of Child Health (NICH).
Attaullah was a primary school student and the son of a labourer. He was playing on the roadside in Jamshoro when a speedy van crossing Indus Highway crushed him and injured him seriously. He was immediately rushed to the Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS) Hospital in Jamshoro, where doctors suggested to the family to take him to Karachi.
The father subsequently hired an ambulance and rushed to Karachi, but when he reached the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), the hospital administration refused to admit him and asked him to take the boy to NICH, the children hospital. But when they reached the NICH, doctors suggested that Attaullah needed a “special operation,” which was only possible at the Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK).
When they reached CHK, doctors redirected them to the NICH. After a four-hour protest by the family, and the subsequent arrival of some media personnel, NICH authorities relented and admitted the boy. “You cannot imagine how we were feeling while transporting a child in that state. We believe they meted us this treatment because of linguistic differences,” said Khameso Birhoi, uncle of the child. “Even though the NICH admitted him, doctors were not treating him properly as they were angry at us because we protested and informed the media,” he said.
“We believe that NICH doctors have deliberately killed the boy, and therefore, we strongly demand of the Sindh government and PPP leadership to lodge a criminal case against NICH Director Prof. Dr Jamal Raza. If a case is not lodged, we will launch a series of protest,” he warned. NICH Director Prof Dr Jamal Raza told Pakistan Today that he has informed the “higher authorities” of the details of the case, and they had asked him not to issue any statement.
Sindh Chief Minister’s Advisor on Media Waqar Mehdi condemned the NICH administration for their negligence, and promised that a high level inquiry will be conducted. “Instead of doing their duty, doctors are protesting for a raise in their salaries and other allowances. I heard about this incident, and I assure you that a high level inquiry will be conducted even though NICH is a Federal government-run hospital. I will talk to the Health secretary and ask him to look into the matter personally,” said Mehdi.
